We were really excited about our first trip to Denmark and were determined to fit in as much as possible. We definitely came home feeling like we had achieved our goal.
We landed in the afternoon on Saturday and checked into our airbnb in the Islands Brygge area and had one night there before we set off early the next morning for Legoland. You can get the train from Copenhagen to Billund which takes about 3 hours. Check the train and the carriage you are in carefully because we ended up in a carriage which was heading in the wrong direction. From the train staton, you can take a bus to Legoland. We had booked our tickets in advance and were staying in the LEGOLAND® Castle Hotel at the park so we were able to check in and leave our luggage there before heading out to the park. The room has a separate sleeping area for children and adults; there is also a safe in the room containing a surprise for the children but first they have to find the secret code for it by exploring the hotel.
We all really loved Legoland. There is plenty to do for all ages and even in the chilly rain, we all had a great time. There are plenty of places to eat and drink and despite it being the school holiday, we rarely had to queue for longer than a few minutes.
Dinner at the hotel in the evening was a buffet at the Knights' Tavern Restaurant with unlimited drinks (including wine) and a decent range of food options for everyone. It wasn’t the best meal of our lives, but it was pretty good for this kind of buffet.
We were so tired we all went to bed early before heading back to the train the following day. We had planned to stop at Odense on the way back which is a pretty town and the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen. I did quite a lot of research for somewhere nice to eat and settled on Oluf Bagars Gård which is a really cosy spot with excellent food and service. We took a stroll around Odense before heading back to Copenhagen. We decided to drop our bags back at the apartment before heading out to explore the city a bit. We headed for the main shopping area around Strøget which is one of the longest pedestrian streets in Europe. It’s a lively area with lots of shops, bars and restaurants. We decided to eat in the apartment that evening so we picked up some food from the supermarket.
The next day we had planned a busy itinerary. We had bought Copenhagen Cards
which entitled us to free access to lots of attractions around the city as well as free public transport in the Greater Copenhagen area. It's free for the children but you still need to buy them online at 0.- Dk..
Here is an overview of the things we did each day:
Tuesday
Medical Museion : When we arrived, we were warned that it might not be suitable for the children. Jude was happy to look at the exhibits but Alba wasn’t sure so we waited outside.
We visited the beautiful area of Nyhaven
Lunch Restaurant Gilleleje : We loved this and tried lots of delicious local dishes. It was very busy so we were glad we booked.
We took a boat tour with Netto Boats : This was a really good way of getting to know the city and see the statue of the Little Mermaid.
We stopped for waffles at Wafflebakeren
Guinness World Records Museum : We had so much fun here, its a great place for all the family with plenty of interactive exhibits
Dinner at Christianshavn's Færgecafé: Definitely book in advance. It’s a really cosy place with great food. Make sure you try their home made schnapps. You can also eat on the boat sometimes.
Wednesday
Ripley Believe it or Not : This was quite similar in style to the Guinness World Records Museum but worth a visit. The children really enjoyed it.
Tivoli Gardens : The iconic theme park in the centre of the city. Its beautifully laid out was decorated for Halloween when we were there. There are plenty of activities for all ages. There is also a huge choice of restaurants and cafes. We opted to eat dinner in the fish restaurant.
Thursday
The Tube : This was a quick visit. It was okay but we could have done without it.
Wallmans Show : This was a special pre birthday treat for Alba. It was such fun with a variety of different performers, lots of music and singing. A really special evening.
Friday
Round Tower : This is beautiful and well worth a look if you are in the area. The viewing platform at the top offers amazing views of the city.
Rosenbourg Castle : It was very busy when we were there so we zipped around quickly. Its a beautiful castle and we loved seeing the jewels.
Sticks n sushi : Alba picked sushi for lunch on her birthday and this place served great food with nice views of the Tivoli park below.
Italian Restaurant : We weren’t too impressed with this place. We had to wait a long time even though we had booked and were squashed in a corner. The food was okay and the waiter sang happy birthday to Alba which was nice.
We absolutely loved Copenhagen. There was so much to do for families, everyone was really friendly, public transport was easy to use, and clean and we ate really well in restaurants. Worth mentioning that is an expensive city so the Copenhagen Card was definitely a welcome way of saving some money.